Sporting Licenses and Game Harvests

Texas sells a variety of hunting and fishing licenses through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TWPD). Updated 1 year ago
Share This Page
Texas Sporting Licenses and Game Harvests

Texas Sporting Licenses and Game Harvests

A white-tailed buck. Photo by Ray Sasser.

A hunting license is required of Texas residents and non-residents who hunt any legal bird or animal. Hunting licenses and stamp endorsements are valid during the period Sept. 1 through the following Aug. 31 of each year, except licenses issued for a specific number of days or time periods.

A hunting license (except the non-resident special hunting license and non-resident 5-day special hunting license) is valid for taking all legal species of wildlife in Texas including deer, turkey, javelina, antelope, aoudad (sheep), and all small game and migratory game birds. Stamp endorsement requirements apply.

Special licenses and tags are required for taking alligators, and a trapper’s license is required to hunt fur-bearing animals.

In addition to a valid hunting license:

— An Upland Game Bird Stamp Endorsement is required to hunt turkey, pheasant, quail, lesser prairie chicken, or chachalaca. Non-residents who purchase the non-resident spring turkey license are exempt from this stamp endorsement requirement.

— A Migratory Game Bird Endorsement and HIP (Harvest Information Program) Certification is required to hunt any migratory game birds, including waterfowl, coot, rail, gallinule, snipe, dove, sandhill crane, and woodcock.

— A valid Federal Duck Stamp is required of waterfowl hunters age 16 or older.

Hunting Leases

Hunting leases are important to the economies of many Texas towns. TPWD has launched the online resource Hunt Texas, to connect landowners and hunters. Through the website, landowners can register their leases and hunters can search by county, game type, length of lease terms, costs, and weapons allowed.

Fishing Licenses 

All fishing licenses and stamp endorsements are valid only during the period Sept. 1 through the following Aug. 31, except licenses issued for a specific number of days or time periods. If you own any valid freshwater fishing package, you will be able to purchase a saltwater stamp and also fish saltwater. If you own any valid saltwater fishing package, you will be able to purchase a freshwater stamp and also fish freshwater. An all-water fishing package is  available that enables you to fish both fresh and salt water.

Detailed information concerning licenses, stamps, seasons, regulations, and related information can be obtained from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin 78744; (800) 792-1112 or 512-389-4280.

On the web, information from TPWD: tpwd.state.gov/business/licenses/.

Hunting and Fishing Licenses 

 

2013–2014 SeasonVolumeRevenue
Hunting Licenses
Fishing Licenses
Combined Licenses
TOTAL
554,233
1,345,388
678,297
2,577,918
$ 25.1 million
36.5 million
34.5 million
$ 96.1 million
 
2014–2015 SeasonVolumeRevenue
Hunting Licenses
Fishing Licenses
Combined Licenses
TOTAL
549,977
1,363,787
701,207
2,614,971
$ 25.5 million
37.0 million
35.9 million
$ 98.4 million
2015–2016 SeasonVolumeRevenue
Hunting Licenses
Fishing Licenses
Combined Licenses
TOTAL
538,420
1,435,471
727,886
2,701,777
$ 27.1 million
39.2 million
37.1 million
$ 103.4 million
2016–2017 SeasonVolume

Hunting Licenses
Fishing Licenses
Combined Licenses
TOTAL

524,111 
1,350,081
636,389
2,510,581

2017–2018 SeasonVolume
(estimated)

Hunting Licenses
Fishing Licenses
Combined Licenses
TOTAL

501,116
1,250,519
617,016
2,368,651

2018–2019 SeasonVolume
Hunting Licenses
Fishing Licenses
Combined Licenses
TOTAL

477,399
1,276,384
614,877
2,368,660

2019–2020 SeasonVolume (estimated)
Hunting Licenses
Fishing Licenses
Combined Licenses
TOTAL

465,331
1,539,576
624,196
2,629,103

Game Harvest Estimates 

The TPWD estimated that hunters harvested the following game: 

Game2020–21 Estimates
2019–20 Estimates
2017–18
Estimates
2016–17
Estimates
 Dove, combined*5,893,4146,881,986 7,024,472 10,331,555
 Duck1,025,1591,085,509 1,385,557 1,497,667
 Gallinule00 N/A 2,075
 Goose142,39851,891 111,702 161,667
 Pheasant21,97720,065 48,470 28,378
 Quail, combined**372,097383,829 698,469 1,874,544
 Rabbit103,939168,156 294,387 538,959 
 Rail654,339 N/AN/A 
 Snipe4,5764,424 2,559 7,024
 Squirrel350,373333,094 427,699 474,314
 Teal184,146212,392 200,085 253,879
 Turkey (fall and spring)26,93527,979 42,471 50,235
 Woodcock1302,354 303 7,515
 White-tailed Deer852,448846,330 918,009 953,615
 Mule Deer10,53015,201 17,620 18,062
 Javalina29,94535,505 37,626 41,354

*Dove, combined includes the following species: Eurasian, mourning, white-tipped, and white-winged.
**Quail, combined includes the following species: bobwhite and scaled.

 

 2011–122012–132013–142014–152015–16
White-tailed deer 574,810 546,360625,577590,271547,655
Mule deer7,916 10,2618,3868,5629,789
Mourning dove5,833,975 6,198,3217,109,1107,636,5936,958,500
Bobwhite quail 257,766 141,047220,696562,802944,619
Duck 1,196,247 1,408,1861,555,8271,531,1161,177,738
Pheasant 30,607 26,06718,68625,96342,104
Wild turkey in the fall 14,927 18,78419,08619,63123,853
Wild turkey in the spring 12,033 20,52219,96622,34023,281
Javelina 26,174 21,22524,47222,77622,717

 

 

 

 

 

Share This Page

It doesn't get any more Texan than this…

Purchase your copy of the brand new Texas Almanac today!


Buy now »